Vehicle conveyors may be used for various purposes. One purpose may be to convey wheeled vehicles through a tunnel type vehicle wash system. A vehicle wash conveyor may convey a vehicle through various wash stations, such as a pre-soak station, a soap dispenser, a tire washing station, a sprayer station, one or more rotating brushes, a pre-rinse station, a wax applicator station, a rinsing device, and/or a drying station for example.
A vehicle conveyor may comprise an elongate track flanked by a pair of rails which act as a tire guide. A tire of a vehicle (e.g. a car whose transmission is in neutral) may be pushed along the track, within the tire guide, by a longitudinally advancing roller to cause the vehicle to roll forwardly from the entrance end to the exit end of the conveyor. The roller may be driven by an endless drive, such as a chain or belt, which is situated below track level. The roller may be attached to the endless drive by an upstanding tab or link that protrudes through a longitudinal slot in the track. The longitudinal slot may guide the roller along the track as the roller pushes a vehicle wheel.
The track of a vehicle conveyor may have an opening near an exit end of the vehicle conveyor to allow the roller to drop below track level. This may allow the endless drive to carry the roller around a rotating sprocket or drum back towards the entrance end of the vehicle conveyor.
Vehicle conveyors may be used outside of the vehicle wash industry as well.